NEED TO KNOW
- Dollywood has been named the favorite theme park in the country by the National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA)
- The theme park has won the top honor for the third consecutive year, following a national survey conducted by NAPHA
- Dollywood is co-owned by Dolly Parton and launched in 1986
Dolly Parton is celebrating another hit!
On May 16, the Dollywood theme park, co-owned by the country music legend, was named America’s favorite by the National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA).
Dollywood received the top honor for the third year in a row, as voted for in the 39th annual NAPHA Amusement Park and Attractions Survey, according to a release from the organization.
The theme park beat Disneyland in California, which landed second. Dollywood previously won the title of favorite theme park in 2022 and 2023, per the release.
Dollywood is located in the Great Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., near where Parton, 79, grew up and opened to the public in 1986. Parton co-owns the theme park with Herschend Family Entertainment.
The beloved park spans 165 acres with over 50 rides and attractions, including the popular Big Bear Mountain Roller Coaster and the Wild Eagle, and attracts two million visitors annually. It also has a 35-acre water park.
While attending Dollywood’s 40th anniversary celebration in March, Parton spoke about her initial goals in launching the theme park. “On opening day in 1986, I was just hoping that people would really want to come visit a theme park with my name on it,” the country star said. “And even though I always try to dream big, I’ll admit I was a little bit nervous that first morning.”
“But people did come out to support us that first day, and I’m so proud to see that Dollywood has continued to grow through the years to become a place of fun and togetherness for everyone who has come to visit,” added Parton.
In January 2024, Parton shared what makes Dollywood so special is that visitors always want to come back.
“The Smokies — and the wonderful people who work here — are what make Dollywood so different than many of the other theme parks around the world,” she told the National Geographic. “We’re right on the front porch of the most-visited national park in the country, so we take what God gave us and use it to dream up the big dreams we want our guests to experience while they are here riding rides and making memories.”
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Along with its increasing popularity, Dollywood is continuing to expand in 2025.
Parton and The Dollywood Company president Eugene Naughton announced in March that the theme park is building a new attraction, per WATE. A video shared during the 2025 season preview day teased that the attraction would go “up, over and through the Great Smoky Mountains and down to the heart of the ancient wildwood tree.”
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